The Pragmatist's Porchetta

Using pork loin in place of a whole pig and an ordinary oven instead of an open fire, you can master this herb-stuffed Italian roast at home

By

Molly Stevens

Updated Jan. 4, 2013 1:08 p.m. ET

TYPICAL BUCKET LISTS tend to include exotic travel and thrilling adventure, but my list, were I to write one, would consist of a number of world-class dishes, like porchetta, that I've always dreamed of mastering yet never seem to find the time (or energy) to attempt. Traditional porchetta involves a whole pig that's been gutted and boned, stuffed with its own offal, seasoned with a heady mix of wild fennel, herbs and garlic, neatly trussed and then slowly spit-roasted over an open fire. The results will cause any pork lover to swoon, but the prospect of procuring and boning a whole pig and then wrangling it over a...